Mother’s car stolen outside Spokane day care

A mother who left her car running while dropping off her child at a north Spokane day care today returned to find the car gone.

It’s the fourth car theft at a Spokane day care in three months, and police say the description of the thief is consistent in all cases.

The car today was stolen from the 6400 block of North Wall Street about 8 a.m. The woman called 911, and sheriff’s deputies and police found the vehicle unoccupied in an alley between Francis and Decatur avenues a few minutes later, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim’s purse, which she’d left on the front passenger seat, was missing.

The thief is described as a white man in his late 20s to early 30s, 5-foot-11 with a thin build and wearing dark pants and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips that lead to an arrest. Anyone with information on his current location is asked to call 1-800-222-TIPS or submit tips online.